Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
  • G05G1/00—Controlling members, e.g. knobs or handles; Assemblies or arrangements thereof; Indicating position of controlling members
  • G05G1/08—Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
  • G05G1/085—Crank handles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F5/00—Orthopaedic methods or devices for non-surgical treatment of bones or joints; Nursing devices; Anti-rape devices
  • A61F5/44—Devices worn by the patient for reception of urine, faeces, catamenial or other discharge; Portable urination aids; Colostomy devices
  • A61F5/4404—Details or parts
  • A61F5/4405—Valves or valve arrangements specially adapted therefor ; Fluid inlets or outlets
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K31/00—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices
  • F16K31/44—Mechanical actuating means
  • F16K31/60—Handles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
  • G05G1/00—Controlling members, e.g. knobs or handles; Assemblies or arrangements thereof; Indicating position of controlling members
  • G05G1/08—Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
  • G05G1/087—Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels retractable; Flush control knobs

Definitions

• the invention relates to a tap, and in particular to the kind of tap adapted for use in drainage of bodily fluids.
• the invention further relates to a urine drainage bag including such a tap and apparatus for delivery or drainage of fluids including such a tap.
• Taps are used in a wide variety of applications, and in some of them, a problem which has been experienced with taps of known design is that whilst it is necessary to provide some form of handle which is easy for the user to grip and operate, such handles generally protrude some distance from the body of the tap itself, making the tap bulky and awkward in storage and use.
• One area where this problem is particularly acute is that of urine drainage apparatus, where a patient who is catheterised has a drainage bag for collection of urine, which is provided with a tap to enable it to be easily emptied.
• the tap is customarily connected to the bag in a length of tubing close to the person's body and this can give rise to problems in the case where the tap has a projecting lever arm which is moveable between a closed position generally parallel to the length of tubing and an open position generally at right angles thereto.
• the projecting lever arm may press into the person's body and may be inadvertently snagged by being caught on bed clothing, sleeping apparel, or on the clothing of people such as nurses passing by or standing near a patient using urine drainage apparatus.
• taps including devices whereby the lever arm remains closely adjacent the tubing in both the open and closed positions, usually utilising lost motion devices and offset fluid flow passages. None of these devices, however, provides a tap which is completely free from protuberances which may become snagged. They also involve relatively complicated mechanisms which are expensive to manufacture and also difficult to clean. This invention seeks to mitigate problems such as these.
• a tap comprising a body, a control member within the body moveable between open and closed positions, and stowable operating means for operating the control member, the arrangement being such that in the stowed position, the operating means lies substantially within the perimeter of the control member.
• the operating means may comprise a part which is adapted for operation by a user, to operate the control member. This makes the tap easier to use.
• the part In the stowed or retracted position, the part is positioned adjacent a surface of the control member.
• control member may comprise a recess, into which the part is retractable partially or fully. This provides a particularly smooth and snag-free surface.lt is particularly preferred that the part is retractable to be substantially flush with a surface of the control member.
• the part may be hingedly attached to a part of the control member for movement between the stowed and unstowed positions. This is particularly convenient.
• the operating means, the hinge and the control member may be integrally formed. This provides for ease of construction.
• An alternative yet equally effective arrangement is to have the operating means moveable between the stowed and unstowed positions by sliding, relative to the control member.
• the operating means may, again, be removed completely from the control member, and inserted into an aperture thereof for operation.
• the operating means is retained in the stowed position by retaining means. This prevents the operating means from inadvertently being moved from its stowed position.
• the retaining means may comprise mutually co- operable parts of the operating means and the control member.
• the tap may be provided with biassing means to bias the operating means towards the unretracted or operative position when the retaining means is released. This prevents the handle from falling back into the stowed position when the tap is in use.
• the operating part of the operating means may comprise a substantially planar tab which can easily be gripped by a user.
• a tap as hereinbefore defined, adapted for use in drainage of bodily fluids.
• a urine drainage bag including a tap as hereinbefore defined.
• apparatus for delivery or drainage of fluids including a tap as hereinbefore defined.
• Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of tap according to the invention in a closed, stowed or inoperative position;
• Fig. 2 is a front view of the tap of Fig. 1 in the open or operative position;
• Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of a control member for use in the embodiment of tap shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in the unretracted or operative position;
• Fig. 4 is a front view of a further embodiment of tap according to the invention.
• Fig. 5 is an underplan view of the tap shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
• a tap 1 comprising a body or barrel 2, a control member 3 within the body 2, moveable between open and closed positions, and stowable operating means 4 for operating the control member 3 , the arrangement being such that in the stowed position, the operating means 4 lies substantially within the perimeter of the control member 3. This therefor obviates inadvertent operation or snagging.
• the tap 1 comprises a length of tube 5 with a transverse cylindrical barrel 5' (shown most clearly in Fig. 5) in which is received in rotatably slidable relation in a cylindrical barrel 6 of the control member 3 the barrel 6 having a through, diametrically extending, bore 7 of substantially the same diameter as the tube 5 for passage of fluid when the tap is in the open position for fluid flow along the tube 5.
• the control member 3 which has a close fit in the barrel 5 but can turn with respect thereto as described before, carries the operating means 4, which in the embodiment shown takes the form of a flap or tab 9 which is attached to the control member 3 by two integral hinges 8 and which is generally planar, and has an end part opposite the hinges 8 for gripping by a user.
• the flap 9 is provided with biassing means which in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of an over-centre integral flat spring member 10 which serves to help keep the flap in the unretracted or retracted positions.
• Retaining means for the flap 9 is provided in the form of a spigot and socket arrangement, the flap being provided with the spigot 11 on its inner (in use) surface which cooperates as a push fit with a socket 12 located on a corresponding part of the control member 3.
• the flap 9 in the stowed or retracted position the flap 9 lies flush with the front (outer as viewed) surface of the control member 3. This is achieved by forming a recess 13 in the surface 14 of the control member 3 having a depth of substantially the thickness of the flap 9.
• a part 15 of the control member 3 located below the free end of the flap in the retracted position is cut away so that the end of the flap forms a slight overhang. This provides a grip, which makes the flap more easily openable.
• the operating means 4 In use, in the retracted position illustrated in Fig. l the operating means 4 is retained by the retaining means in its recess 13, flush with the surface of the control member 3 and within the perimeter or surface area of the end thereof.
• the stowed operating means 4 (Fig. 1) is gripped via the part 15 and pivoted about 180° by means of the hinges 8 to the open or unstowed position illustrated in Fig. 2. The position of the tap 1 may then be changed by rotating the operating. means, and thereby the control means 3 to the desired position.
• the operating means 4 is then returned to the recess 13 where it is held securely in place by the retaining means.
• the tap may be manufactured from any suitable material, such as a plastics material.
• the control member 3 may be conveniently manufactured in two parts, namely the end part bearing the operating means 4 and the barrel part bearing the bore 7. The two parts can be secured together as by snap engagement.
• the shape of the flap can be varied to optimise its function as an operating means 4 in the -unretracted position.
• a variety of different shapes of flap 9 may be provided.
• control member 3 shown in the embodiment is substantially cylindrical, it could be a variety of different shapes, such as for example oval, as long as the basic anti-snag function is not impaired (the barrel 6 remaining cylindrical).
• the operating means 4 is received in the recess 13, however it will be appreciated that a relatively smooth and snag-free arrangement is possible, even without providing any recess.
• the operating means 4 could be moveable from the stowed or retracted to the unstowed or unretracted position in ways other than by hinging.
• One particularly effective arrangement is to have the flap 9 and recess 13 in slidable engagement, the flap being slidable sideways out of the recess until a stop means is reached. This is illustrated in Fig. 4, the operating or non-stowed position of the tab 9 being shown in chain-dash lines.
• the flap 9 could be entirely separate from, but stowed inside the control member 3.
• the tab or flap 9 would be removed and inserted in for example, an appropriate recess in the control member 3 thereby providing a handle for operation of the tap 1.
• the flap 9 forms an operating handle in all embodiments.
• taps embodying the invention and described with reference to the accompanying drawings are relatively easy to manufacture suitably by moulding in plastic, and are yet simple in configuration. They are also easy to operate in practice without the drawback of "snagging".

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Nursing (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Dowels (AREA)
• Developing Agents For Electrophotography (AREA)
• Photoreceptors In Electrophotography (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Sink And Installation For Waste Water (AREA)
• Treatment Of Water By Ion Exchange (AREA)
• Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)
• Control Of Motors That Do Not Use Commutators (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10772903

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (2)

Citations (4)

• 1995
  • 1995-04-11 GB GBGB9507507.3A patent/GB9507507D0/en active Pending
• 1996
  • 1996-04-04 AU AU52835/96A patent/AU697157B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1996-04-04 EP EP96909272A patent/EP0820565B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-04-04 DE DE69606288T patent/DE69606288D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-04-04 WO PCT/GB1996/000865 patent/WO1996032602A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1996-04-04 AT AT96909272T patent/ATE189047T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (4)

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